Protect-IP act, SOPA, E-Parasite act

[Thor Badendyck]

Obama Administration Comes Out Against SOPA And Protect IP

[Eagle]

[Thor Badendyck]

whoa.

Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout

Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00 UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate — that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia.

This will be the first time the English Wikipedia has ever staged a public protest of this nature, and it’s a decision that wasn’t lightly made.

happening tonight.

[Eagle]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/20 ... ed-twitter

"That's just silly. Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish."

I hope the protest gets the point across.

Meanwhile, other countries are getting forced by the US into passing similarly retarded laws all around the world. Canada isn't alone:

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6243/125/

[monkeybutter]

""That's just silly. Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish.""

I know right? Think of all the revenue wikipedia is losing during this blackoooohhhh wait a minute

[monkeybutter]

Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter: apparently unaware that wikipedia doesn't really "make money" on site visitors.


this actually explains a lot about twitters revenue stream if you think about it

[Eagle]

God bless Boing Boing.

It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.

A so-called “blackout” is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals. It is our hope that the White House and the Congress will call on those who intend to stage this “blackout” to stop the hyperbole and PR stunts and engage in meaningful efforts to combat piracy.”

The PDF: http://mpaa.org/resources/c4c3712a-7b9f ... 5dfad8.pdf